Stats show Steve Kerr-led Warriors have never seen a team like Rockets in playoffs

Stats show Steve Kerr-led Warriors have never seen a team like Rockets in playoffs

The Golden State Warriors have been the NBA’s juggernaut over the past three seasons. There’s simply no denying that, even if you’re a fan of another NBA team.

When you reel off three-straight NBA Finals appearance, a run which included at least 67 wins in all three seasons, and are currently in the Western Conference Finals for the fourth-straight year, the respect and praise are warranted. But just because the Warriors have been unbelievable in recent years, doesn’t mean they’ve dealt with anyone quite like the Houston Rockets in the playoffs.

Now, that’s not to say that the Warriors haven’t defeated some stellar opponents over the past three years in the postseason, but numbers don’t lie.

As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated revealed, the Rockets have won more games, compiled a better point differential and put together a better offensive rating than any team the Steve Kerr-led Warriors have ever faced in the playoffs.

The 2018 Rockets have won more games, compiled a better point differential & posted a higher offensive efficiency rating than any Warriors playoff opponent during the Steve Kerr Era (2015-2018). pic.twitter.com/VipkSBPOYs

The win totals aren’t the most telling numbers here, but the other two statistics are pretty interesting. The Warriors have consistently been known to have an unbelievable offense, but these numbers show that the Rockets should be able to hold their own when it comes to putting points on the board.

Another interesting point about those stats above is that only two teams (Cavaliers and Thunder in 2016) were able to win three games in a series against the Warriors. Those two came back-to-back as well, with one being Golden State’s infamous rally from being down 3-1 against Oklahoma City and then falling in the NBA Finals right after to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in seven games.

It’s certainly an interesting mixture of stats, especially since the Rockets are over a full point better in differential than the next-closest team and have an offensive rating that wasn’t very close to any team listed either.

If the Rockets offense can produce like we’ve seen, there’s no question that Houston could be on their way to the NBA Finals.

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